Lamborghini Aventador LP700

The Aventador, replacing Lamborghini’s top-of-the-line Murcielago model, has a 700-horsepower V12 engine that surges to 100 kilometers (62 miles) per hour in 2.9 seconds. The Volkswagen AG (VOW) division, which competes with Fiat SpA (F)’s Ferrari, wants to decide by the end of the year whether to add a third model to complement the Aventador and Gallardo lines.

The Aventador LP 700-4 has sold out the first 18 months of production, and China accounts for a fifth of buyers so far, Chief Executive Officer Stephan Winkelmann said in an interview today at the Shanghai auto show. Sales may grow further when deliveries start in the third quarter.

Lamborghini wants to use a customer reception in Shanghai today to further stoke demand for the Aventador, which is priced at 255,000 euros ($364,000) in Europe. The car maker will use the event to present a special edition called the Gallardo LP 550-2 Tricolore, limited to 150 cars to mark the 150th anniversary of Italian unity, the CEO said. The Gallardo LP 550-2 will be mainly sold across Asia.